Chief Justice Claims Politicians Tried To Bribe Court Officials

There have been attempts by politicians to influence the judiciary and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, is not willing to allow that happen.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, has issued a stern warning to politicians, asking them to jettison
attempts to influence the judiciary in any way.

Justice Onnoghen while delivering a judgement on a case on the governorship
seat in Abia State on Friday, alleged that there was a security breach at the judiciary.

He claimed that politicians had tried to bribe officials of the judiciary
arm of government to get first-hand information about who was writing the
judgment or what the judgment of the jury would be on the Abia State
governorship election case.

The Supreme Court had, with a ruling on Friday, put an end to the leadership
tussle that followed the election of Mr Okezie Ikpeazu as the Governor of Abia
State.

Justice Onnoghen wondered why some politicians would attempt bribing officials of the judicial arm of the government.

Delivering judgment on the appeal filed byMr Uche Ogah,
challenging the nomination and election of Governor Ikpeazu as the governor of
Abia State, the jury upheld the election of Mr Okezie Ikpeazu
as the governor.

The apex court by the ruling upheld the earlier
ruling of an Appeal Court on the matter.

In August 2016, the Appeal Court upheld the
nomination and election of Governor Ikpeazu, but Mr Uche Ogah challenged that
decision, forwarding an appeal to the supreme Court which is the final bus
stop.

Storm In A Teacup

Mr Ogah’s appeal did not scale through, as 2 out of the three-man panel of
the Supreme Court struck it out for ‘lacking merit’.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, said the case was a
storm in a teacup, which should not have been entertained by the court in the
first place.

This ruling of the Supreme Court is coming nearly two years after the
governor won the Abia State governorship election.

Mr Ikpeazu won the April 11, 2015 election under the Peoples Democratic
Party.